


A World of Beasts and Forbidden Wants

by caprithebunny



Category: Lycans - Fandom, Lycanthropes - Fandom, Original Fiction - Fandom, Original Work, werewolves - Fandom
Genre: Blood and Injury, Genderqueer Main Character, Lycans, Lycanthropes, Magic, Medieval World Mixed With Modern, Other, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves, Werewolves and Lycans are the dominant rulers of the world, expect nsfw content in multiple manners later on!, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 13:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18575611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caprithebunny/pseuds/caprithebunny
Summary: Maran has enough issues trying to help their small town survive in a world where humans are on the bottom, and werewolves and lycanthropes are on top, as well as getting people to understand their wishes. It's hard enough as one of the minority of humans who didn't turn to worshiping or being used by the Beasts, but Maran is also magickally gifted far more than they should be.In a world of violence outside of their native walls, and now with more complications with their decision to save a Lycan rather than kill him for the crimes he has undoubtedly committed, how are they expected to escape possible enslavement... or worse?





	A World of Beasts and Forbidden Wants

I sigh softly as rain continues to pour down outside, turning the normally soft dirt into pits of red clay mud. It almost looks like the gardens of plants are bathed in blood; mother nature can be rather morbid, even in dirt coloration. 

 

“ _ Maran? Maran! Are you okay? _ ” Someone calling my name pulls me from my thoughts. I turn away from the window, squinting slightly as my eyes re-adjust to the brightly lit living room. 

 

“Yeah, Ma, I’m fine. I was just thinkin’.” Ma chuckles softly, shaking her head with a slight smile on her lips. 

 

“I figured, but had to be sure. You have a habit of doin’ that when the sky starts to pour.” She wipes her messed hands on her floral-printed apron, smearing off-white batter on a large part of it. “Dinner’s about ready; the batter was tryin’ to fight with me on getting into the pan, but I managed.” She turns back to the kitchen’s connecting door to the living room, and I know she’s wanting me to follow her, so I do. “Would you mind helpin’ me with supper? I know you want to break in your home, but…” She stops at the kitchen island, still spattered with flour, batter, and multiple discarded bits of vegetables and meat fat. 

 

“But you don’t want another leaving the nest so soon. I know.” I grab the tin for compost dumping and start raking the leftovers from her prep into it. “I’ll help, don’t worry. Is pa and Eri coming home for it, too?” She nods enthusiastically. 

 

“Yes! The miners finally hit a big pocket of coal, accordin’ to your da. He said he and Eri will be gettin’ tons more time off because we won’t have to fight so hard to get energy without… Them noticing.” She shivers, murmurs a prayer to the Gods under her voice while doing a holy star across herself, and turns to check on the shepard’s pie in the oven. Them. The Beasts, as many humans like us call them. In this part of Icarurim, lycanthropes and werewolves are the cock of the walk. Humans either worship their every step and breath, or they’re like us, living in hiding, protected by thousands of layers of magick meant to keep Beast-bloodeds out. An icy chill runs down my spine, causing my entire body to shudder. 

 

“Well… that’s good. They’ve been working the miners so hard, from the moment the light touches the sky till well into the night. They deserve a big break, and some awarding for their work.” Instead of getting comfortable in my new home, I’d been spending the last two months spending most of the daylight time with Ma, knowing she was dealing with da’s missing presence badly. After thirty-two years together, I would say it’s hard to deal with. 

 

I wash my hands after the counter is visibly clean, then wet a rag and apply some cleaning fluid before going back to it. Ma continues to chatter about a few more successes in the community, like the solar panels finally being complete, just need more time to properly wire everything; the gardens are responding well to the compost this year, so there’s hope for a lot more food this year, especially in winter; and there’s hope that the town will be able to expand closer to the river, which will help up our water supply. I nod along, mentally taking notes as she speaks. More than likely, when the expansions start, I’ll be called in to help move the protective spells and runes that keep the town safe. One of the “perks” of being a strong magician, I guess.

 

When I finish fully wiping down the kitchen island and some counters, the shepard’s pie is ready. My stomach had started to growl half an hour ago, and at this point I’m nearly ravenous at the smell. When Ma takes it out of the oven, I feel my mouth water at the full force of the smell of the vegetables, beef, and gravy cooked to perfection. The mashed potato-parsnip mix on top is golden brown, and the filling inside looks somewhat like beef stew, but with less gravy. We both quiet once she divies us out a portion of it, and we keep that quiet as we eat. 

 

~

 

_ Around an hour later... _

 

The rain finally lightened up sometime after Ma and I ate dinner, enough so that I can finally go into the main area of town and onward to getting what I need for home. Flour, eggs, a good helping of vegetables, red-spotted toadstools, gold wire… I check all of what’s left, mainly just coffee beans and more paper. I make my way through the mud, rather slowly, towards  _ Ervini’s _ , a shop centered around getting more non-local items from other small human settlements around the country. The outside part of the store is painted a dark green, with large, hand-painted white letters depicting the shop’s name written above the door. It’s bigger inside than out, as per usual with shops and homes. The work of magick. 

 

“Hey, Maran!” I hear someone say as I step in from the rain, scrubbing the mud from my boots on the welcome mat as I lower my hood. I look over to the rickety, oak wood counter as I round the large display of papers to my left. I grin when I spy Annori, dressed in a lovely knee-length spring green dress with her long, dirty-blonde hair plaited into a french braid thrown over her shoulder. The closer I come to the counter, the more her cheeks flush, and the more excited she acts. I have to swallow down a laugh as she dips down behind the counter to grab something, then pops back up with a bounce. “Your things finally came in! Erv told me to make sure I kept them on hand in case you could stop by.” 

 

“Oh, good! Yeah, the rain finally let up enough to come into town from Ma and Da’s.” I reach out to grab the box of coffee beans and paper, letting my fingers brush hers as I do so. I sneakily watch her bite her lip as she nervously laughs and hands off the box entirely to me. I’m well aware of her…  _ interest _ in me, and it makes teasing her so much more fun. “How long is Erv keeping you here?” 

 

“Um, just until 3 or so. He doesn’t expect much in the way of customers today, and the elders are sure the rain is going to become a bad storm towards evening.” 

 

“So he doesn’t want you to get caught in the storm.”  _ Rather nice of him _ , but I don’t say that bit out loud. Erv could be a real hardass sometimes; it’s why I’m no longer working the counter in here. 

 

“Pretty much! Especially with where I live… outer rim and all.” 

 

“Yeah.” I look outside, and groan when I see the rain picking back up. Damn it. “Look, Ani, I need to get back to Ma’s. She’ll tear off my hide if her cornmeal gets ruint. I’ll see you soon!” I head back to the door as she calls goodbye, shifting everything around in my pack to fit in the new box. As I’m about to head out the door, I feel a hand gently wrap around my upper arm. I turn, a brow raised, and look down at Ani. Her face has, somehow, managed to turn from a dark pink to tomato red in the span of time it took me to finish moving around my pack’s items. 

 

“I-I was wondering about something…” She looks down at our feet, and I can hear her mutter to herself. 

 

“And that is…?” I bite my lower lip to keep the smirk from fully forming on my lips. She’s so adorable when she’s nervous. 

 

“I was w-wondering if you’d… um… liketocom’ov’rforsuppahsometime.” The last half of her sentence comes out in such a quick succession I can’t quite tell what she said.

 

“If I’d like to what?” 

 

“T-To come over. For supper. Some time.” She lets out a nervous laugh whilst her hand not on my arm twists itself into her dress. This time, I can’t keep the grin off of my face as I pull my lower lip in between my teeth for a few moments, before letting my lips pull into such a big grin my cheeks hurt. 

 

“ _ Absolutely _ . When would you like me to come over?” 

 

~

 

_ After dark has fallen… _

 

I laugh as I make my way through the thick clay mud via a small orb of light, my thoughts drifting to my day. Quite a turn of events, if I say so myself. Da and Eri are home after being only able to return home for a short time every Friday and Saturday, and… Ani finally got the guts to ask me on what I’m thinking is a date. I laugh again, the heat of my breath swirling through the fog that’s settled in after the rain. A thick fog that would normally make moonless nights unable to be traveled, but I’m good at creating light. I feel my face contort as my boots let out more squelching noises, now becoming more constant the closer I get to my home. 

 

My home. It’s odd to consider the small cottage as my “home”, but it really is. While I have to live closer to the outer rim than Ma and Da were comfortable with, I rather enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by trees. There’s also a good amount of cleared land as per usual for homes, so soon enough I can even begin my own small garden and maybe some other self-sufficient means of living. And… maybe some chickens or pigeons for healthy meat when the river isn’t producing fish. 

 

Just as I’m reaching the clearing to my home, I hear a low, animalistic groan. I stop dead in my tracks, my heart beginning to race as my eyes struggle to make anything out in the dark fog. I try to calm my breathing; if it’s an animal, I need to be  _ calm _ . Pressing my lips together and steeling myself, I move forward slowly, willing my orb to go in front of me. It bobs as we travel, and even as we go ten or so steps onto my land, I still see nothing. 

 

One step.

 

Two step. 

 

Another groan cuts the air, somewhere in front of me, to the left. It’s closer now. 

 

One step. 

 

Two step.

 

I  can’t suppress my gasp when I finally see what’s made that noise. My orb’s light casts an eerie look on the monstrosity in front of me. It lies in a collapsed heap, fur matted with mud and something of a darker red. A darker red that’s puddling around it, staining what it touches. Blood pours from the huge gouges carved into its back and sides, as well as holes ripped into its torso and limbs. How it managed to still be alive is unfathomable. I move closer to see it better, and realization dawns on me when I see its wolfish head, and the twisted look of paws and hands meshed unnaturally.

 

_ Lycan _ . The word whispers through my brain, sending an icy panic trickling through my chest and stomach. Its eyes are closed, but its mouth is slightly open, allowing blood and breath to escape. Slowly, slowly, my hand inches towards the shortsword hidden at my side. I’ve never killed before, but… I can’t let this thing go. Not when I know exactly what it’ll do if it survives. Unspeakable horrors.  _ Horrors I can prevent. _

 

Just as I manage to quietly bring my blade from its sheath, a quiet voice whispers through my head.  _ Don’t. _ I pause, but don’t take my eyes off of the beast’s hulking body.  _ Who are you? _ I ask. 

 

_ Don’t kill him. You’ll regret it, _ comes the reply. 

 

_ What do you mean??? Who are you?! _

 

_ I am a god, a god of old who has seen what will come if you kill him. So don’t. Bring him into your home, care for him, and tell none of his presence. To kill him would end the future of your people, and to abandon him will bring to end your future. So care, and not kill, human, if you truly care for either.  _ Great. A riddle. It’s not unusual for the gods to present themselves mentally when someone is at a turning point that could have major impact on the world. Doesn’t mean I have to like what it says, though.

 

_ Why should I spare him? He is a monster, who has likely murdered innocent humans aplenty in his numerous days! Why should he be allowed to live and not be punished?! _

  
_ Heed my words, human. You’ll understand soon enough. Care, not kill.  _ It whispers this last part over and over as its voice recedes from my mind. A final warning. Care for a beast that will likely kill me the moment he wakes. The gods have a  _ great _ sense of humor sometimes. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you stick around to see just what kinds of chaos Maran will have to deal with. (As a small side note, Maran will be referred to as she/her and they/them throughout the story! While they go by any pronouns, they also tend to present in a more feminine leaning or roughly androgynous way!)


End file.
